Abubakar Nurmagomedov Record: 17-4-1

UFC tenure

Nurmagomedov's UFC debut in November 2019 was a rough one: he was caught in a first-round triangle choke by David Zawada, a submission loss that put him immediately on the back foot. He answered the way his family is known for – with control. In March 2021, at UFC 260, he ground out a unanimous decision over Jared Gooden, then delivered arguably his best UFC performance in October 2022, dominating the previously one-loss Gadzhi Omargadzhiev over three rounds on the UFC 280 card in Abu Dhabi. His final Octagon appearance came in June 2023, a razor-thin split-decision loss to the experienced Elizeu Zaleski that left his welterweight run at a frustrating close.

Fighting style

Nurmagomedov is a classic Dagestani wrestle-grappler, built on chain wrestling, top control and a combat sambo submission game rooted in his world-medalist pedigree. His finish breakdown reflects a balanced fighter rather than a one-dimensional finisher: across 17 wins he has six knockouts, four submissions and seven decisions, a 59% finish rate that tilts toward grinding, control-based victories at the higher levels. His strengths are positional dominance and relentless pressure; his demonstrated weaknesses have been on the mat against elite submission threats, with two of his four career losses coming by way of choke. At his best, he smothers opponents and banks rounds, as he did against Omargadzhiev.

Career highlights

• UFC 280 statement win — dominated the 13–1 Gadzhi Omargadzhiev over three rounds on one of the biggest cards of the year.
• Combat sambo world medalist — a Russian national champion and multiple-time Combat Sambo World Championship medalist before his MMA career took off.
• WSOF winning streak — strung together decision victories over seasoned veterans including John Howard to build his reputation on the international circuit.